Putin allies express concern over mobilisation 'excesses'

Sept 25 (Reuters) - Russia's two most senior lawmakers on Sunday addressed a string of complaints about Russia's mobilisation drive, ordering regional officials to get a handle on the situation and swiftly solve the "excesses" that have stoked public anger.

President Vladimir Putin's move to order Russia's first military mobilisation since World War Two triggered protests across the country and seen flocks of military-age men flee, causing tailbacks at borders and flights to sell out.

Multiple reports have also documented how people with no military service have been issued draft papers - contrary to Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu's guarantee that only those with special military skills or combat experience would be called up - prompting even ultra-loyal pro-Kremlin figures to publicly express concern.

In a direct message to Russia's regional governors - who she said had "full responsibility" for implementing the call-up - she wrote: "Ensure the implementation of partial mobilisation is carried out in full and absolute compliance with the outlined criteria.

Rights groups saying more than 2,000 have been detained at rallies against mobilisation in dozens of cities so far this week, with more protests already having been recorded on Sunday in Russia's Far East and Siberia.

Reuters, the news and media division of Thomson Reuters, is the world’s largest multimedia news provider, reaching billions of people worldwide every day.

Back to 365NEWSX